Suddenly I'm Flying
by Klaine Is My Life
Summary: 11-year-old Blaine sees Kurt perform in a touring production, and is immediately enchanted by him. When they meet again 15 years later, will sparks still fly? Yes. Yes they will.
1. Chapter 1

"_**Something bursting me wide, open impossible to hide. And suddenly I'm flying, flying like a bird. Like electricity, electricity. Sparks inside of me. And I'm free, I'm free."**_

**-Electricity, from Billy Elliot  
**

**Oh, hi! Thanks for clicking on this! Well, this is my new story. I've been working on it since I saw Billy Elliot in February... There was this adorable little boy sitting next to me wearing a sweater vest, and he just reminded me so much of Blaine! So then this idea just started developing, and I knew I had to write this. **

**This will have two or three chapters where Blaine is 11, and then there will be a major time jump. I know that it seems really focused around Billy Elliot, which would be confusing if you haven't seen it, but it basically goes away after this chapter. **

**Also, thank you to the wonderful Don'tBeADaisy for editing this! (She's awesome, go read her stuff.) Well, with that, enjoy! I'd absolutely love some reviews! (I have a habit of being a really slow updater, and reviews ALWAYS make me speed up.)**

**~~o0O0o~~**

Blaine willed himself not to squeal. Not that he had anything against squealing, but apparently a grown boy squealing was frowned upon. At least, that's what his brother Cooper said. But still, it was very hard to resist squealing under these circumstances. Blaine was going to see his first musical! He had been begging his mother to take him to see one for years, ever since he discovered Disney movies. But Blaine's mother and father were always busy, and left their two sons home alone a lot. There wasn't much time for family outings. Blaine finally convinced his mom to take him to see a musical for his 11th birthday, and he was super-mega-excited for it. Because as much as Blaine adored the bubbly ballads and overdone villains of Disney, he was pretty sure this live musical he was seeing was even better.

_Billy Elliot!_The name rolled off Blaine's tongue and straight into his heart. Granted, he didn't actually know what it was about, but it was a musical! It was going to be amazing. Oh, wow. Now Blaine was really getting excited. Would bouncing in his seat be more acceptable than squealing?

"Ugh, Blaine, can't you act presentable for once? You look like a deranged rabbit when you bounce in your seat like that." Cooper said disdainfully. Blaine frowned, his heart sinking just a tad at his brother's critique. However, as was the norm between the two brother, Blaine quickly shot a comment back.

"Oh Coop, you probably don't even know what 'deranged' means." Cooper rolled his eyes.

"Of course I-" Their mother cut them off.

"Alright boys, come on. We're here. Out of the car." She said without emotion, very much used to the boys' bickering. Blaine grinned widely, grabbed his jacket, and hopped out of the car, followed by his brother at a slightly slower pace.

"Cooper, come _on. _We're going to be late." Blaine grabbed his brother's arm and tugged.

"Get your grubby little hand off me _right now._" Cooper hissed. He was really only coming because he was always bored on Saturday afternoons. Cooper thought musicals were cheesy, overdone, and on their way out. The boys' mother gave them a look that clearly said, _Stop right now or we're going home. _Blaine immediately stepped away from Cooper, trying to be the bigger man. (Metaphorically, anyway. Cooper was always growing like a weed, and Blaine was just two inches taller than their eight year old neighbor.) It was hard enough to get his mom to take him, and he wasn't going to let Cooper ruin the night.

They turned the corner and Blaine could make out the words "Ohio Theatre" in fancy red lettering down the street. In his excitement, he sped up, leaving his mother and brother behind. He just wanted to get to that theater!

"Blaine! Get back here! You can't be running around the streets of Columbus!" He heard his mother say from a few feet back.

"_Mom,_I'm not four," Blaine pointed out.

"Really? I couldn't tell, with all the bouncing and squealing you've been doing." Cooper prodded. Blaine ignored his brother and kept walking. Soon they were in front of the theater. Blaine beamed up at the marquee and pushed through the door. He blinked at his surroundings; sure his eyes were playing tricks on him. The lobby was absolutely grand, filled with gold curlicues and patterns.

"Oh, Blainers. It's beautiful, isn't it?" Blaine's mom breathed. Blaine nodded.

"Gorgeous." Blaine and his mom proceeded to wander around the lobby, trying to look at every single little gold detail on the walls, ceiling, and lights. Once they had taken in everything they could, they went to find their seats. But as soon as they entered the theater, Blaine and Mrs. Anderson gasped again. Cooper shrugged and messed with his cell phone as his brother and mother pointed out various decorations to each other. Finally, they took their seats in the balcony, and Blaine willed the show to start.

_Come on lights,_he thought. _Dim already! Dim!_

Finally, Blaine's wishes were granted, and the theater darkened. A woman's voice came over the speakers.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to tonight's performance of Billy Elliot. We ask that you turn off all cell phones and pagers. Please locate your nearest emergency exit. And now, enjoy the show." Blaine grinned in anticipation as a little boy holding a radio ran up the aisles onto the stage, and the curtains opened.

People of various ages and genders began arriving onstage. Some wore mining costumes that made Blaine wrinkle his nose, while little girls flitted around fun, bouncy outfits. And then a boy walked onstage.

He looked to be about Blaine's age. He was tall, slender, and had chestnut hair that just seemed to magically stay piled up on the boy's head. But his face was what really amazed Blaine. He was absolutely gorgeous-

_No Blaine! Not gorgeous! You don't think about boys that way, you're_not _gay. He's simply very... intriguing. He's really fun to watch onstage, so I hope I get to see more of him._Blaine thought.

He tried to follow the plot, but his eyes kept straying back to the chestnut-haired boy. Someone called him 'Billy', and Blaine cheered internally. The boy was the lead, meaning he'd be onstage all the time! _Because, you know, it's fun to watch him. That's all. _Blaine reminded himself. And then, the boy began to sing, high and clear. Blaine almost gasped. He didn't know boys could sing like that. Billy didn't sound like a girl, he just sounded amazing. His voice echoed through the packed theater, and the entire audience seemed to be entranced. At least, that's what it seemed like Blaine. Maybe he was too spellbound by the actor himself to notice anyone else's reaction.

As the plot built, Blaine became more and more captivated by the boy. Blaine had tried to find the actor's name in the program, straining his eyes to read it, but eventually gave up and gazed back at the stage. Oh, he was going to dance! Billy started out a little awkward, but as the little tutu-clad girls onstage giggled, he gained confidence and began flitting around the stage. It was almost like he was, well, flying. His movements were so fluid, one step transforming into the next as his limbs bent and twirled gracefully. Blaine felt he could watch this boy pirouette and sashay around the stage for hours. But no, of course the stupid dance teacher had to start _talking_, and then the scene ended. Blaine just hoped Billy would dance more soon. But only because he thought the actor was very talented.

**~~o0O0o~~**

Blaine wanted to laugh out loud when Billy walked in on a little boy wearing a dress. He had wanted to do that when he was little for some inexplicable reason. Blaine had been a weird toddler. _Wow,_Blaine thought._And now that kid's putting Billy in a dress. Strangely, he still looks amazing in it, even though the outfit was really ugly. Well, not amazing, that sounds really gay. And you are not gay, remember? He just looks healthy. Like a dancer._

Blaine pushed the unnerving thoughts out of his head and concentrated on the outrageous musical number unfolding onstage. A curtain of rainbow streamers dropped down and crazy dancers careened around Billy and his friend. And they were dancing again, and it was just all the more breathtaking because he was singing and dancing at the same time, and there were rainbows and lights. Blaine just couldn't stop grinning, and didn't even care when his mother ruffled his hair like he hated. This song just made him feel warm and fuzzy and happy, for lack of better words.

**~~o0O0o~~**

Blaine really did like this play. And not just because of the boy who played Billy. He also liked the fact that Billy was featured in almost every scene. And of course he enjoyed the plot, and the other characters, and the music. But really, this boy was amazing.

And as the scene onstage unfolded into a passionate dance solo for Billy, Blaine noticed how real the emotion seemed. Either this boy was an extremely good actor, or he'd been that badly hurt before. Blaine knew he didn't even know this kid, but he hated the thought of him ever going through anything that awful. Blaine pushed away all of his weird thoughts for the boy and just allowed himself to become immersed in the dance.

When the scene ended, Blaine jumped up and clapped harder than anyone else. Billy deserved all the applause in the world. The lights came up for intermission, but Blaine just snuggled back into his chair and opened his program to the cast list. After finding the name he was looking for, he flipped to the cast biographies.

_Kurt Hummel_(Billy) _is ecstatic to be fulfilling his dream of being on a national tour at just twelve years old. Kurt began dancing in his hometown, Lima, Ohio, when he was six years old, and has never stopped loving it since. Some of his most memorable roles have been JoJo in_ Seussical, _Flounder in _The Little Mermaid, _and The Scarecrow in _The Wizard of Oz Ballet_. However, portraying Billy Elliot has been his favorite role of all time. Kurt would like to thank his father for always encouraging him and carting him around to various play rehearsals, dance lessons, and auditions that helped him get to where he is today. He wouldn't be up on that stage without his dad. Kurt wants everyone out here to know that they are special, and should follow their dreams. Because they can come true._

Blaine read the bio several before understanding three things:

One, Kurt Hummel was only a year older than Blaine.

Two, Kurt Hummel lived just two hours away from him.

And three, Kurt Hummel was an amazing human being.

Well, Blaine supposed he already knew number three, but reading Kurt's bio had just added to the proof. Blaine didn't really care that Kurt Hummel was a boy, and that it was probably weird for him to be thinking about a boy like this, because Kurt Hummel was talented and perfect, and Blaine was going to just enjoy the rest of the show.

**~~o0O0o~~**

Blaine waited patiently, clapping as Mrs. Wilkinson curtsied. And then Billy ran out, and Blaine cheered. Well, cheered wasn't the right word. Blaine _screamed_, followed by a startled look from his mother and a knowing smirk from his brother. But Blaine was too busy jumping up and down and whooping to notice or care.

Later, after Blaine had finally stopped clapping and agreed that it was time to leave, he began gushing to his family.

"That play was amazing!" He said, his eyes bright.

"Yep, a lot of those people were really talented." Blaine's mother replied, smiling down at her son. On the other side of Blaine, Cooper nudged him playfully.

"How about that Billy, Blaine?" Blaine felt heat rushing to his cheeks and looked away.

"He was good." He mumbled, while internally kicking himself. Kurt had been more than good. _Way _more than good. Good enough that Blaine needed to find out more about this beautiful, enchanting boy that messed with his feelings. In truth, Kurt Hummel terrified him to no end, because he made him feel a way that he'd never felt about a person. Especially not a boy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2! Sorry it took so long... I tried my best to write fast! But don't worry, all my extracurriculars just ended, so I'll go back to having no life. :)Hugs for my beta, andwho! (That's actually OhMyGagaIt'sKlaine, she changed her penname.) Enjoy!**

***()*()*()*()*()*()*()***

Cooper Anderson knew, probably better than anyone, that Blaine was a pretty happy kid. It was rather irritating, actually. His younger brother liked to smile and hum Disney songs to himself, constantly disrupting Cooper's thoughts. When he laughed, which was often, it was unnaturally high, bubbly, and much more prolonged than anyone else's. Cooper didn't even know it was possible, but in these past few weeks, Blaine had seemed even _more_ cheerful.

As of late, if Cooper looked at Blaine, he was most likely to be grinning with too much enthusiasm, bouncing on the balls of his feet, or telling an inanimate object how much he loved it. The Disney songs were replaced by the Billy Elliot soundtrack. The boy often dropped out of conversations with a dazed look on his face. It didn't take Cooper long to figure it out. In fact, he had deduced it before they'd even gotten out of that theater. Blaine had a crush. And most likely, on a certain touring dancer. Now, Cooper made fun of Blaine a lot, mostly because it was extremely easy and his reactions were amusing. But he really did love his little brother. Seeing as their father seemed to have neither the time nor the acceptance to have this conversation with Blaine, Cooper felt the need to do it himself.

***()*()*()*()*()*()*()***

It was like he was sitting in a field full of flowers with a bee buzzing in his ear. Beautiful and enjoyable, yet just a bit disconcerting. Blaine couldn't get the dancer out of his head. His high, clear soprano replayed in Blaine's ears over and over. Visions of the flowing movement of his legs swirled in his mind. His name bounced around Blaine's head nonstop. Blaine found himself absent-mindedly humming songs from the musical, and willed himself to stop, as it just brought up memories of Kurt Hummel, leaving Blaine in a daze. The fact that he'd bought the soundtrack and was listening to it obsessively probably didn't help either.

He just didn't understand why he was so fascinated with this boy. He'd never admired any celebrity this much, not even J.K. Rowling. This just felt different. Having no knowledge of Kurt Hummel except his actor bio drove Blaine crazy, so it didn't come as much of a surprise when Blaine found himself sitting in a swivel chair typing Kurt Hummel's name into a search engine.

The first few results were from the touring company's website, and just showed the bio Blaine had already read several times. But the next result showed promise:

"**Kurt Hummel lives his dream as 'Billy Elliot'**_**"**_

The article opened with an introduction about Kurt's training and previous roles, all stuff that was in the bio. But the quotes from Kurt began in the next paragraph. This was what Blaine was looking for.

_I've loved dance as long as I can remember. I was twirling and flitting around the house, crashing into my parents when I was two," Says Kurt. His father agreed._

"_Kurt wouldn't stop begging us for dance lessons. I was a bit nervous about the whole thing at first, but now, when I see my kid up there dancing for a full house, I've never been more glad he stuck with it,"_

_"I really relate to Billy. We've both lost our mothers. The scene with Billy and his late mom is very emotional for me. I live in a small town that isn't very open minded; I wasn't always accepted, being a pre-teen male dancer. I've had to deal with people in my way. It definitely hasn't been an easy journey to get to where I am, but I made it."_

_Kurt is still amazed that he's come this far. "If you had told me five years ago that I'd be doing this, I'd think you were insane," he said. "It's still just unbelievable to me that people come from hours away __and pay money to see_me _dance."_

_Kurt's parting words to us were this:_

"_It just goes to show that you shouldn't give up on your dreams. Following your dreams can lead to situations like mine, with a full time job doing what I absolutely love. It's the key to happiness."_**(1)**

Blaine was flooded with a warm, happy feeling. He leaned back in his black swivel chair, marveling at the fact that someone could be this...perfect. He was so busy daydreaming that he didn't notice his brother coming up behind him in their loft and scanning the still open web article. Cooper stood there, wondering if he should alert Blaine of his presence or wait until Blaine discovered him. Eventually, he just tapped his brother on the shoulder.

"Hey, hobbit." He said casually, perching himself on the edge of the couch adjacent to the computer desk. Blaine jumped a bit and turned around.

"Coop!" Blaine quickly closed out his browser, hoping against hope that his older brother hadn't seen him practically stalking some dancer. Cooper chuckled.

"So... what are you looking at?" He asked casually, swinging his legs back and forth. Blaine simply raised an eyebrow skeptically. They both knew that Cooper had seen the web page. Cooper sighed. "Kurt Hummel, huh? That's that actor, isn't it? Talented guy." Blaine kept his eyes downcast, pretending to find the floor exceedingly interesting.

"Yeah... I just wanted to know a little more about him, I guess. No big deal." Blaine replied. Cooper sighed.

"Blaine," The younger boy exhaled sharply and dropped his face into his hands. "I-,"

"Coop, I don't know what's wrong with me! Why do I like this dancer so much! It's just so weird... I've never felt like this about anyone before. And god, he's a boy. I'm not gay! I can't be..." Blaine rambled on. Cooper moved to put his arm around his little brother.

"Hey, hey, calm down." Blaine tensed in his brother's arms for a moment, not used to any Hey! This is another thing I'd really like to have beta-ed. Like all of my work, I'm a little insecure about him...kind of affection from his brother. He looked up at him questionably.

"Am I gay?" He asked, his voice cracking a bit. Cooper smiled ruefully.

"Well squirt, I can't answer that 'cause I don't know. You've got to figure this out for yourself. But just know that I'm ok with whatever. I really don't care who you like... at all." Blaine's entire body seemed to relax, and he gave his brother a small smile.

"Thanks Coop. That means a lot." Blaine moved to give his brother a hug.

"No problem, kid. I'm here for you." The boys were silent for a minute, just letting their conversation sink in. And then Cooper gave Blaine a sly look.

"_So_... you're into the dancers huh?" Cooper waggled his eyebrows. Blaine groaned.

"Oh god!"

***()*()*()*()*()*()*()***

**(1)Inspiration for this article taken from http: / www. mlive. com / entertainment / saginaw /index. Ssf/ 2011 /04 / auburns_kylend_hetherington_li. html**

**So... how was it? I know, it was too short, but I couldn't really find anything else for Blaine's part of the story at this point. But with that said, I'd like to give you guys a few options as to what you'd like to see next:**

**A.) More of Blaine**

**B.) Kurt's life on tour**

**C.) A time jump (Yeah, I know they're kind of annoying, but it's necessary for this story.)**

**So, tell me which one you'd like in a review! And please, give me some feedback too!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Oh dear Gaga, it's really been a month! But I've honestly been working on it that entire time. I was writing during standardized testing (and getting made fun of by my classmates for it), writing when I was supposed to be playing outside, and just thinking about it all the time. But I've had testing, stage crew work, recitals, and all that other end of school junk. But it's finally over! So I'll hopefully get to write more, but I have a busy summer ahead of me, so no promises.**

**This is unfortunately self-beta'd, because _andwho_, my amazing beta is performing in the play I'm doing stage crew for, so I really didn't want to dump this on her. But I did my best to find any mistakes! And I'm not sure what happened with the page breaks in here... just go with it. **

**Oh, also, this chapter has a crapload of OC's. I'm sorry if they're really badly done, I need to work on character development. I'm actually kind of self-conscious about them... tell me what you think of them, ok? Please? :)**

**And in case you forgot, previously:**

**Cooper and Blaine had a talk about Blaine's sexuality, and Blaine is beginning to accept that he's gay.**

**One more thing: There's a reference to Holy Musical B man in here! Whoever finds it first gets a 100-word drabble using an inspiration word of their choice! **

**Ok, I lied. Last thing: REVIEW!**

**Chapter Three: Kurt**

Some people would probably think it was kind of strange, a father willing to watch his son perform the exact same show two times a week. But Burt Hummel really didn't give a rat's ass what those people thought. Burt knew his son was damn talented and he was happy to watch his son dance and sing week after week. He had to be backstage anyway, he had a job as 'kid wrangler'. But those Broadway kids were so well-behaved and professional that Burt didn't really know what to do with himself backstage. So he'd often sneak into the right wing and watch Kurt perform.

Kurt was currently in the middle of Electricity, the song where he got to dance however he wanted. "Improv", they had called it. So it actually wasn't the exact same performance, the dance was different every time Burt watched it. He was really, really proud of his son.

***PAGE BREAK IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!***

Applause was really a beautiful thing. Paired with loud cheers and enormous smiles, it gave Kurt such an absolutely amazing feeling. It was like honey was filling his veins, warming him and ridding his body of all its troubles. Every time he saw people clapping for him, every time he heard someone screaming for him, Kurt knew why he did this. Seeing that people loved to watch him perform made all the too-long dance rehearsals, failed auditions, and annoying chorus numbers worth it. Completely.

Kurt waved goodbye to his audience particularly vigorously, as it was Ohio, his home state. He did miss it once in a while.

As soon as the curtain closed, everyone rushed backstage to do whatever thing seemed most important. Kurt immediately found a pair of skinny arms wrapped around him.

"Kurt! Great job tonight!" said the tiny, enthusiastic black haired boy in front of him. Kurt smiled fondly at his friend.

"Thanks Taj, but I'm pretty sure you'd say that if I forgot all my lines and acted like a gorilla." Taj giggled and shook his head. "And anyway, aren't we forgetting you? "Expressing Yourself" brought down the house!"

"Yeah, but that was because of those faceless dancers!" Taj protested, trying to look serious as they both imagined the costumes used in that number. They simultaneously burst out laughing.

"Alright, c'mon . We've got to go change before Ryan gives us all our notes." Taj groaned at the thought of listening to their director hurl advice at the cast as he did after every performance, but followed Kurt offstage into the left wing just the same. Taj bounded up the stairs to their dressing room. Kurt chuckled at the boy fondly. He had mentally labeled Taj a puppy back when they first met at the beginning of rehearsals for the tour. The only difference was puppies grew up and got less excitable and adorable. But little Taj just stayed the same exuberant kid, constantly telling Kurt how awesome he was and managing to brighten up the dreariest of days.

Just as Kurt was about to follow his friend up the stairs, he winced as an all-too-familiar voice called out to him.

"Hey Hummel!" Kurt braced himself and turned around.

"Brent," he stated, leaving his face expressionless. The red-haired, nasally boy in front of him smirked.

"You're coming to my room tonight with the other Billys," he said. Kurt sighed. He didn't exactly enjoy Brent's company a whole lot (or at all).

"No, I think I'll stay in my room. I'm tired from perfo-" Brent cut him off.

"It's not a question, dude! Us Billys don't hang out enough. We're going to-"

"Eat pizza, drink soda, and talk about 'guy stuff'. I know, Brent. We've done it before," Kurt finished, as Brent snickered.

"Yeah, awesome right? Be there." Kurt shook his head in defeat and turned to go. "Oh, and Kurt? Don't bring your tiny little sidekick. He's frickin' annoying." Kurt furrowed his brow.

"Sidekick? Taj? He's not annoying, he's-" But he trailed off, as Brent was already walking away. Kurt clenched his teeth, furious with himself for being such a doormat. Around other people his snarky remarks would have instantly flattened them. But people like Brent made him feel so weak and insignificant. Like he was nothing.

***SUPER PAGE BREAK! SAVING THE FANDOM FROM CONFUSING STORIES!***

Ok! Now..." Taj hesitated, scanning the room for someone else for Kurt to sketch an outfit for. "That lady. In the purple." He cocked his head toward the woman and Kurt grimaced.

"Oh god. Purple skinny jeans and a matching argyle sweater? On a heavy, middle aged woman? There's no hope, Taj. I'm not going to be able to sketch clothes for her that she would ever wear. She has no sense of style whatsoever." Taj shrugged and smiled up at his friend.

"Aw, come on! Try!" Kurt sighed and looked down at his sketchpad. Taj always had complete confidence in whatever Kurt did. Just as he was about to put his pencil to paper, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to his right to see a short woman with pleasant brown curls framing her round face gesturing for him to stand up.

"Sorry, I've got to take you to wardrobe, Kurt. Darn kid, you keep growing and your pants are too short!" said the woman good naturedly. Taj looked momentarily disappointed, but quickly regained his bright expression.

"Hi Callie! Aw, why can't I grow?" he asked ruefully.

"Because you're a munchkin," Callie teased. Taj mock-gasped.

"Excuse me, I play _Michael. _A far more prestigious role than munchkin. And anyway, wrong play, Callie. Get your facts straight, this is Billy Elliot!" Taj put his hands on his hips indignantly. His demeanor was becoming very similar to Kurt's-at least, Kurt when he was in diva mode. Callie laughed, her curls bouncing merrily.

"It's ok, I'm a munchkin too," she said, patting Taj's head.

"No, _really?_ Even I'm going to grow up taller than you!" Taj prodded as Callie scowled.

"Ok, Kurt! Time for us to go!" she said quickly, motioning Kurt toward her. Kurt mouthed 'goodbye' to his friend as he stood up to follow Callie.

"You can't run away every time I make a short joke!" called Taj to Callie, who was already walking out.

"Watch me!" Callie clicked toward the elevator doors in her six-inch heels, Kurt struggling to keep up with her. Passing the front desk, Callie expertly dodged a tall businessman. But as the man hurried past, his brown leather shoe skidded past Kurt's boot. Kurt audibly gasped and glared at the man's back before examining the damage to his boot. Callie raised her eyebrows.

"Kurt, come on. Your shoe's fine." Kurt huffed.

"Hopefully. People should really be more careful."

"Agreed. Let's go." Callie pressed the elevator button and the doors immediately opened. They stepped inside and headed up to the floor where they had set up the wardrobe department for the show. Kurt leaned against the railing, humming a song from a show he couldn't remember the name of.

"So, Kurt? What girls in the cast do you like?" Callie asked playfully, winking at the boy. Kurt tensed and looked away.

"Uh...no one," he muttered. Callie wasn't deterred.

"Aw, come on. I won't tell anyone!" She smiled slyly at him. Kurt's heartbeat quickened and his mind raced. _Make something up, quick._ He thought frantically. He ran through the list of girls' names who were in the show. But in the silence, Callie began looking at him strangely, and Kurt could see gears working in her head.

"Oh my God," she said. "You're _gay. _It all makes sense. The obsession with clothes, the love for dance, the extremely high voice. Oh, god."

_Deny it, deny it. _Kurt's brain screamed at him. No one had ever brought it up before, but Kurt had known it as long as he could remember. He had no idea how to deal with this, or how Callie would react.

"Well, are you?" She asked impatiently. Kurt stayed silent. "You're a little gay thirteen year old. No, I can't deal with this. Just- just go." The elevator doors opened just then and Kurt stepped out, still confused by the exchange.

"Room 603." Callie said emotionlessly, not even bothering to look at him anymore. And as the doors began to close, Kurt could have sworn he heard the girl whisper,

"_Disgusting."_

_*_**EVIL DR. GLITCH IS PLANNING TO SPACE ALL THE STORIES INCORRECTLY! NO!***

The conversation with Callie had really shaken Kurt to the core. She always seemed so nice, but upon realizing that he was gay, turned hostile. Would anyone accept him? Was this how everyone was going to react to him liking boys? Should he ever tell anyone, if this was how it would be? These questions and a hundred more plagued Kurt's mind for the rest of the day. He stayed silent and subdued, an extremely unusual disposition for Kurt to adopt. His father could tell something was up, but Kurt refused to tell him anything. How did he know Burt wouldn't just disown him if he told him?

Kurt would have liked more than anything to skip the meeting in Brent's room, but knew that the obnoxious boy would just annoy him to death for the next month if Kurt didn't show. So he finished treating his shoes for the scuff the rushing man from earlier had given him and pulled the boots back on. He muttered a goodbye to his father and trudged down the hallway to Brent's hotel room. He furrowed his brows and peered through the doorway of the open room, looking for the boys who shared his part as Billy Elliot. Suddenly, a loud, horrifying sound emanated from behind him and he let out a shriek. He turned around and there stood Brent, buckled over in a fit of giggles.

"Oh god, Kurt, you screamed like a little girl," he laughed. "That was freaking hilarious." Kurt gritted his teeth and forced a smile.

"Sure, Brent. Great joke. Where are Thomas and Jared?" Brent pointed into the room.

"In there. They didn't want to join in on scaring you for some reason." Kurt rolled his eyes and turned his back on Brent, walking into the room. Thomas and Jared, the other actors, sat cross-legged on the bed.

"Hey Kurt! Want some pizza?" asked Thomas in a friendly tone, flipping his dark brown hair out of his eyes. Kurt smiled. He really didn't mind Thomas, and he made an evening with Brent slightly more bearable. Normally, Kurt would refuse the grease and salt, since his late mother had warned him against the evils of junk food. But maybe it would be easier to not put up a fight about the pizza and just eat it.

"Oh, sure. No soda though." The boys shrugged and handed him a slice of pizza, just as Brent jumped onto the bed, launching Kurt's small frame barreling into Thomas.

"Whoa! Whoa, sorry Kurt." The boy said with a laugh, moving away from Kurt. Kurt's cheeks colored slightly at the contact and he became very interested in his pizza. The boys began a light conversation of some music artist Kurt didn't like, and Kurt allowed himself to be sucked into 'guy time'.

***SAVE THAT STORY CAPTAIN PAGE BREAK!***

As the night went on, Brent had challenged each boy but Kurt to chug a cup of soda in ten seconds, Jared had given them an amusing solo version of "A Whole New World", and Thomas had recounted the infamous story of how he accidentally set his sister's Hello Kitty plush on fire. Kurt had to admit, it _was _sort of fun, if you ignored Brent. At least, it was until the conversation turned to girls.

"Man, you guys know Brooke? She's one of the ballet girls, she wears the purple skirt? She's _really_ pretty." Jared was saying. The group murmured sounds of agreement, Kurt's fake and probably unconvincing.

"I like the girls who are the best dancers. They've got serious talent." Thomas chimed in. Kurt stayed quiet as the boys continued their discussion of pretty girls. He figured this was just the first of many conversations he'd have to stay out of, for fear of exposing his biggest secret and possibly losing all of his friends. But it was a pretty important part of him, and he knew he couldn't hide it forever. Just for now.


	4. Chapter 4

**WARNING: THIS CONTAINS MUCH ANGST AND TALK OF KNIVES AND CUTTING. IF THIS IS A TRIGGER FOR YOU, STOP READING NOW.**

**Ok, I know, it's been forever, but I had to go to overnight camp! I did write while I was there though. I was kind of difficult hiding some of the scenes I wrote from everyone around me... No privacy. And just now my dad was like, "Can I help you write?" Why, oh, why did I let him know I write fanfiction? But anyway, here it is!**

**Also, this is un-beta'd, because I only have internet for tonight. Sorry!  
**

**Please leave me some reviews! It would mean so much to me to know that you are enjoying/not enjoying my story! I feel like this chapter might be boring... I'm going to the beach tomorrow though, so I probably won't be able to reply. But just know that they'll make me superydupery happy! :)**

* * *

J_une 5, 2009_

Blaine squinted as he stepped out the front door of Westcrest Middle School, the bright sun hitting his face. It seemed to warm his entire body. Or maybe that was just from the pure happiness and relief flooding him. School was _finally_ out. Middle school was over! Blaine was hoping against hope that high school would change everything. If there were more kids, and everyone was more mature, maybe there be more people who were slightly less narrow-minded. Perhaps he could finally find the courage to be himself, to tell people that he liked boys.

He was so tired of living a lie, of hiding such a big part of him. It was worse than trying to hide his Harry Potter addiction. (Not that that particular part of him had ever been hidden for longer than ten minutes.)

"Arrivederci, Blaine!" called his perky Italian teacher. She adored him, as he had come into her class with a knack for learning Italian, since his grandmother spoke it. But nevertheless, it took Blaine a few seconds to think of the appropriate response, as he had just been pulled out of a deep train of thought.

"Ciao, Signora Calabresi!" he said, flashing her his signature dapper smile and waving heartily. He had enjoyed his Italian class, it was entertaining to say the least, but it was time to move on and leave middle school behind.

"See you next year, man!" called a boy from Blaine's homeroom. Blaine shouted a goodbye to him and hoisted his too-heavy backpack back onto his shoulder. He cursed himself for waiting until now to clean out his locker. But an aching back and shoulders couldn't dampen Blaine's high hopes. He was ready for change.

* * *

_July 6, 2009_

He knew he needed to do it. He needed to come out to his parents before he could come out to anyone else. But here he was, sitting rigid on his bed with his legs against his chest. He had no way of knowing whether his parents would accept him, since they didn't really talk about homosexuality in their house. In fact, Blaine had never heard his father or his mother talk about gays at all. Blaine had learned what the word "gay" meant from Cooper. He sighed. Why couldn't he just go downstairs and do it?

_I need a song, that's all._ He told himself, and opened his netbook. He went to Youtube and typed in the first song he could think of: Electricity, from Billy Elliot. It had been playing through his head all day for some reason. He pressed play and tried to let the song ease away his worries. He got about a minute in until his eyes wandered to the related videos bar.

"_Kurt Hummel sings 'Electricity' in Billy Elliot" _read one, and Blaine found himself clicking on it before he even knew what he was doing. He still remembered the week he'd seen this boy perform vividly. It probably had something to do with the fact that seeing him had sparked a conversation with Cooper that made him realize his sexuality, but Blaine knew that Kurt Hummel had made more of an impact than that.

The video started and memories flooded into Blaine's head. Kurt's voice sounded exactly as he had remembered it, and his dancing was of course flawless. As Blaine watched, he wondered how on earth the boy was that graceful, how he was able to do such beautiful things with his body. When the camera zoomed in, Blaine could see a look of pure determination and courage on Kurt's face. And somehow, Blaine felt just a bit of that courage shoot from Kurt, off the stage, through the audience to Blaine's laptop screen. It seeped into his veins, and Blaine let a smile creep onto his face, in spite of his tricky situation. He turned off the video and stood up.

This boy captivated an audience of thousands with just doing what he loved. He was just being himself, and he was loved for it. If he could do it, Blaine felt like he could too. He took a deep breath, ran his hand through his curly hair, and headed downstairs.

His parents were seated in the living room, each staring into their computers, and Blaine stood there awkwardly for a moment before realizing he'd need to make himself known.

"Uh... Mom? Dad?" His parents simultaneously looked up expectantly. Blaine's heart sped up, and a part of him wanted more than anything to back out right now, and wait a little while to tell them. But he crushed that part of him with his sneaker and pushed it to the back of his head. He needed to do this.

"Well, I figure I should tell you guys... I've only just recently realized it but..." he paused, his breath catching in his throat. "W-well, I'm gay. I hope you can accept me." He looked at his parents. His mother nodded, her gentle face staying pleasant. She said nothing however, as both she and her son were now looking at Blaine's father, trying to gauge his reaction. His mouth had become a hard, straight line, and his eyes, usually the same light, honey color as Blaine's, had turned to a serious brown. The man shook his head slowly.

"You are, aren't you?" he said. He didn't sound _angry_, exactly, but just... weary. "I... I'll be back later." And with that, Blaine's father closed his laptop, grabbed his keys, and stepped out the front door. Blaine stared after his father, confused about the whole exchange. His mother stood up and wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back.

"Thanks for telling me, Blainers. I still love you just as much," she said quietly. Blaine looked at her, his eyes asking the question they both felt hanging in the air. A few tears escaped his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. His mother sighed.

"I don't know. He might take a little while. But he loves you, honey, a lot."

"Thank you, Mom," Blaine whispered. She nodded and Blaine saw a new thought cross her face.

"Does this mean we can gossip about boys all the time?" she asked, and Blaine let out a laugh.

_February 13, 2009_

Yes, the music was terrible. But Blaine still wanted to dance, and Nathan was refusing to do anything "outrageous". So they were basically standing around awkwardly, occasionally laughing nervously. But it felt so _good_ to be out of the closet, except for the judgmental glances being thrown their way now and then. It didn't really sway Blaine, though. It was nothing he hadn't gotten when he would randomly burst into a Duran Duran song in the middle of the hallway.

At least. that was what he was telling himself. These looks he was getting seemed different. Like there was a more prominent air of hate emanating from Blaine's classmates at Westerville High. The hate seemed to drift from them, off their breath and from their eyes, right into Blaine's heart. Every look turned a tiny piece of Blaine's heart dark, and he could feel just a bit of that hate for him take residence inside of him.

But then he looked at Nathan, with his bright green eyes and fluffy blonde hair. Nathan was just avoiding everyone's eyes, and was either not bothered by it, or was putting up a very good mask. Either way, Blaine tried to model himself after his friend, and just ignore it all.

* * *

Blaine stared down at his shoes, rolling a tiny piece of gravel under the sole. He gave Nathan a small smile as he checked his phone again.

_9:17 PM. _Where was his mom?

But all thoughts of rides home flew away as Blaine and Nathan looked up to see three menacing shadows looming over them.

"Hey, little fags! What makes you think you can spread your fairy dust everywhere without hearing from us _normal _people?" sneered one. Blaine chanced a frightened glance at Nathan, who just stared at him with wide eyes. There were three of them, and they were probably each stronger than Blaine and Nathan combined. They had no idea what to do.

"Well? _Answer us._" one ordered.

"Uh-um, we're... we're just trying... to have some fun?" Blaine offered weakly, taking a step back into the darkness.

"Well, it seems," began the tallest one, "we need to show you faggots just how unfun it can be when you're here barfing rainbows on us." He stepped forward, latching onto Blaine's arm.

"What? N-no...please..."

* * *

"_Yes, _I know you're working, but your _son_ is in the hospital unconscious, James. Yes, I'm busy too, but what are we supposed to do? Oh, what a great father."

_Whose son is unconscious? James... hey, that's Dad's name! Is Cooper unconscious? Wait, this isn't my bed... it's too firm, and the sheets are too crisp... Oh! Oh. I'm in a hospital..._ _I'm the unconscious one. But I'm not unconscious... Oh, right, I probably need to open my eyes... _

Too much light flooded into Blaine's eyes. He tried to move his arms to shield his eyes, but pain shot through him as he did so. He gasped and whimpered. His mother spun around.

"Oh, Blaine, sweetheart! Thank god you're awake! Nurse! Nurse!" she called. She stepped toward him, extending her hand toward her son's face, as if to brush his curls out of his eyes. But she pulled back before she touched him, as if afraid of breaking him.

"Mom..." Blaine rasped, trying to maneuver the wires surrounding him so he could sit up.

"Blainers, no. Lie back down," his mother told him.

"But-"

"Your mother's right, Mr. Anderson. You need to rest." A nurse said firmly from the doorway. She bustled into the room with a clipboard, handed Blaine a cup of water, and began examining the many monitors around him.

"Do you remember what happened, Blainers?" Blaine's mother asked as Blaine took a tentative sip of water. Blaine squinted in concentration. It was definitely fuzzy, but there were a few things...

"The dance with Nathan... waiting for you to come... but I didn't end up going home, did I? Those guys..." Blaine said softly. The nurse looked up from her chart.

"Yes, Blaine, you were found beaten, bloody, and unconscious outside Westerville High earlier tonight. You have three broken ribs, a large gash up your left leg, and a broken arm. And a whole host of bruises, scrapes, and cuts.

"I... Nathan?"

"I'm told he ran off while they had their... attention to you." answered Blaine's mother. Blaine sighed in relief.

"Good." Blaine paused for a moment to yawn. "Why am I so tired?" he mumbled.

"Oh, the pain meds," replied the nurse. As his eyes began to close, he heard his mother telling him to sleep.

He awoke later, to only the sounds of the various machines around him whirring and beeping. His mother must have gone home for her computer, or clothes, or something. He pushed his covers back and awkwardly shifted toward one side of his bed, fumbling for a light. A stark white glow filled the room. His hospital gown had bunched up at the bottom, revealing a long white bandage wrapped around his thigh.

_Why would they have bothered to cut my thigh?_ Blaine wondered. _They would have had to pull up my pant leg, or cut it off first. _He shuddered at the thought of it all. Why did they loathe him so much, that they wanted to beat him up so badly?

_March 9, 2009_

"Do you think I can remove this bandage on my thigh yet?" Blaine asked. The bandage was just getting annoying and itchy.

"Yes, it's been long enough, I think." his mother answered from the kitchen.

"'Kay." Blaine grasped the edge of the bandage and began peeling it off. A bit of the jagged gash was revealed. It was an odd shape, almost like... a letter "F". And as he kept pulling on the bandage, Blaine saw an "A", and then more letters, and once the bandage was completely removed, Blaine's leg read "FAGGOT" in big, jagged lettering up his thigh. His eyes filled with tears as all the memories flooded in.

* * *

_Rrrrr-rip! One ripped his pantleg off roughly, not caring if the knife grazed his skin. Blaine kept thrashing, trying to do anything possible, just to get away from all the pain. But a boy just kicked him in the ribs, hard, effectively immobilizing Blaine as he grasped his chest. They jerked his leg toward them and the knife glinted in the moonlight. _

"_It seems to us, queer, that you need a permanent reminder of what you are. Gimme that knife, Aaron. Yeah, on his leg._

_Blaine felt the cold metal on his skin, and the white-hot pain that followed as it cut in. He screamed, but no one was around to hear. At least, no one that wasn't enjoying the sound of his pain._

* * *

The doctors had already said that some of his cuts would leave scars. This word, this visual hate, would probably be tattooed on his leg forever.

It would be there to tell the world exactly what he was for the rest of his life.

* * *

_March 14, 2009_

He was supposed to go back to school soon... They never found out who did it, so they couldn't get anyone expelled. Blaine would have to go back to them, and to everyone else for that matter. Back to Nathan, who he couldn't look at without his mind flashing back to the events of that evening. Nathan had tried to visit him, but Blaine had panicked at the sight of him, and the boy had to leave. Blaine couldn't go back there.

He hobbled into the kitchen, ready to bring up the subject of school with his parents. His father sat at the table, agonizing over something on his laptop, and his mother was bent over the counter writing on a pad of paper. Neither acknowledged his presence; Blaine wasn't sure if they didn't see him or didn't care. Either way, he cleared his throat loudly. His mother looked up, but his dad's eyes stayed glued to the computer.

"Hey, I know I'm supposed to go back to school soon..."

"Right," his mother answered.

"But I can't go back there. Those guys are still there." Blaine said, hoping they would understand.

"Oh, you'll be fine, Blaine," said his father from his computer. "You need to toughen up anyway." Blaine looked from his father back to his mother incredulously.

"James!" Blaine's mother scolded. "Blainers, I know it's scary, but-"

"No, Mom. I want to go to Dalton Academy. They have a zero-tolerance no bullying policy."

"Dalton... isn't that an expensive boarding school?" asked his mother. Blaine could have _sworn _his father's eyes spark up at the words "boarding school".

"Yes... but look where we live, Mom!" Blaine said, gesturing to the large house around them. "We can afford it."

"Blaine, we-" his mother began.

"Let him go," his father said simply, "He won't cost us any more hospital bills, he'll be safe, and out of our hair." Blaine stared at his father. Perhaps James wasn't very nice about it, but since he made the executive decisions in their house, he was doing something amazing for Blaine.

_March 23, 2009_

He tightened the silk tie around his neck and smoothed the collar of the blazer down. It wasn't bad for a uniform. But honestly, Blaine would have worn a grass skirt every day if it meant not being scared anymore. He checked his hair in the mirror, to make sure every last curl was tamed, and stepped out of his door. Toward safety. Toward possible happiness. Toward a new beginning. Hopefully, this one would turn out better than his previous new beginning.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm sorry. That's all I've got... **

**In case you don't remember what happened last chapter, Blaine came out to his parents, was beat up at the Sadie Hawkins dance, leaving him with a terrible scar, and started his first day at Dalton Academy. So, here's Kurt!**

* * *

Kurt wasn't exactly thrilled when his father told him that he'd be having his last performance. He was apparently getting too tall for the role, and everyone was sure that his voice was going to change any time now, so he wouldn't be able to sing the part anymore.

He loved playing Billy Elliot, more than any part he'd ever played. It wasn't just that he was the star, the center of attention- although that was a part of it. But he _was _Billy. He too was stuck in a world where he wasn't always accepted for loving the things he loved.

Not to say that it hadn't been amazing. People really, truly loved seeing him perform, and he was sure that no one who came to see him had a problem with a boy who liked dancing. But a boy liking boys was a different thing entirely. The musical theater crowd was generally gay-friendly, but there was the rest of the world to contend with as well.

So Kurt really connected with his character, and the weeks preceding his departure from the show brought some of his best performances ever, filled with passion and energy. He wanted to be himself up on that stage as much as he could before he had to go home.

That was about six months ago, and Kurt was now back in Lima. Stupid, simplistic, tiny Lima with its closed minds and dull culture. Kurt could still hit every note he could hit then, and he always felt a bit of pride swelling in his chest, thinking about his amazing range. But then he remembered that he was a boy, and his voice was abnormal. Was he supposed to be ashamed that he could sing the way he did? It didn't make a whole lot of sense.

Kurt _would_ ask his cool voice teacher who had been coaching him since he got back from the tour, but she had just packed up and moved to Brooklyn, New York. Kurt wished he could have hitched a ride with her and been dropped off in Manhattan, so he could be on Broadway again, but there were no roles out there for him right now anyway. He also would have nowhere to stay. And you know, it's not _totally_ safe for an innocent 14-year-old boy to run around NYC. Especially since Kurt wasn't exactly street-smart.

So, his teacher was gone, and he needed help with this voice-changing, or rather, lack-of-voice-changing issue. That was what prompted Kurt to research alternative coaches in Lima. It wasn't easy, as Lima wasn't exactly a whirlwind of culture, but he finally found one, asked Burt if he could try a lesson, and called the woman. He discussed his situation with her and worked out a time.

"Yes, Tuesday at 4 o'clock sharp. Don't be late. Goodbye," said a severe voice from the other end. Kurt nodded his head vigorously, forgetting that she couldn't see him. She seemed a bit strict, but her website showed that she had decades of experience, and Kurt didn't have many other options. He thanked her quickly and hung up.

* * *

The next Tuesday, Kurt sat with his legs crossed outside Mrs. Griffith's studio. Faint strains of a piano playing "Castle on a Cloud" floated out of the room. He assumed someone was singing, but obviously they needed to sing out more. Hopefully this lady knew what she was doing.

The piano music stopped, and after a moment of silence, the door opened and revealed a pre-teen girl clutching a giant binder filled with sheet music. Burt raised his eyebrows from his seat next to Kurt. The level of seriousness kids gave these lessons he took his son to intimidated him just a bit.

As did the woman now standing before him. Kurt and Burt simultaneously scrambled up to hold their hands out to her. She was wearing a crisp white shirt and a long black skirt, with her gray hair pulled into a tight bun. It was quite a change from Kurt's free-spirited former teacher.

"You must be Kurt. Hello," said Mrs. Griffith quickly and without emotion before turning to Burt.

"And you're the boy's father, I assume. Nice to meet you. Yes, he'll be an hour with me, be out here when he's finished." Burt nodded and attempted a smile at Mrs. Griffith, but she had already directed her attention back to Kurt.

"Come with me, Kurt. We mustn't let any time go to waste." Kurt mouthed a 'goodbye' to his father before following Mrs. Griffith through the door.

The studio was rather bare. The only things adorning the stark white walls were framed certificates of Mrs. Griffith's accomplishments. The teacher led Kurt to the middle of the room where a spotless grand piano sat. She sat down at the piano and motioned for Kurt to stand in front of it.

"I'm quite pleased to meet you, Mithus Griffith," Kurt giggled at his mistake. "Mrs. Griffiss," he tried again, and laughed harder.

"There's nothing humorous about my name," Mrs. Griffith said pointedly. Kurt stopped laughing and looked at her with a slight frown. He shook his head, reminding himself to show adults respect.

"Sorry," Kurt said. "Mrs. Griffith."

"Yes, let's start off with some vocal warmups to see where your voice is." Mrs. Griffith's long finger pressed down on a key far too low for Kurt.

"Oh, I can't sing that low. My voice is high right now," Kurt explained. The woman scoffed and played the note again.

"Nonsense. Though your speaking voice is rather feminine, I'm sure you just need to try harder to hit the lower notes." Kurt's blood boiled at that. He was so sick of everyone telling him his voice was girly.

He looked at the woman innocently.

"Oh, I wasn't aware that voices were gender-specific." The woman raised her eyebrows at Kurt, as if daring him to continue. When he just stared back at her, she resumed as if nothing was said.

"Try this, on 'ah'." She played a scale, and Kurt reached down for the notes. He croaked like a bullfrog.

"Yeah, I really can't hit those," he said again with a little laugh. Mrs. Griffith sighed.

"Try harder. Keep your throat open, but relax the muscles," she urged, as Kurt clenched his teeth. What part of 'I can't hit those' did she not understand? He tried to force himself to stay calm, but his mouth just started running.

"Look, I have been on a national tour for the past year and a half, and no one has ever questioned my voice. I came here for someone to help me _nurture _my voice, not tell me it's wrong for my gender, or whatever you're trying to say here." Mrs. Griffith glared at her student before pointing to the wall.

"Do you see that? Do you see all of my qualifications and awards, Mr. Hummel? I think I know what I'm talking about," Mrs. Griffith said, her voice dripping poison.

"Oh yeah? Well, I don't." And with that, Kurt picked up his satchel and walked out. His father looked up from his newspaper with a questioning look.

"What's up, kid?" Kurt was fuming as he told his dad the story, and when he was finished, Burt would have liked more than anything to walk in there and show that lady exactly what he thought of her opinions. But both father and son knew that would not go well. Burt stayed in his chair, rubbing Kurt's back until they had both calmed down a bit.

Burt stood up and went back into the studio. He told the woman they wouldn't be needing lessons anymore, and left before she could answer. Kurt was still curled up on the bench in the hallway, looking both injured and extremely angry. Burt didn't blame his son, that lady seemed to be a complete and utter idiot.

"Come on, Kurt. Anybody that stupid doesn't deserve to teach you." The corners of Kurt's lips curved up a bit at the praise, and he reached up to hug his father. He kept a smile on his face, knowing it would please Burt. But inside he was still lost, still uncertain about whether he was normal, and still without a singing teacher.

* * *

Summer ended, and high school was before Kurt much too soon. He knew he wasn't going to have a _super_ awesome year. For one, he was a tiny, scrawny freshman, meaning he'd be the object of many a senior's amusement. And two, he was going to have to camouflage himself enough to fit into the mold of a high school boy. Now, camouflage was a bit of a foreign word to Kurt Hummel. He would _never_ consider wearing actual camo, even if was the only article of clothing available. His designer jackets and Doc Martens stuck out like a peacock in a flock of geese. But he couldn't camouflage himself personality wise either. Kurt had anticipated problems such as these, but maybe not the other obstacles he would come across that year.

* * *

On Kurt's first day of school, during his lunch, Kurt scanned over the impossibly large number of sign-up sheets for clubs at McKinley High.

_Gardening Club? Really? _He thought incredulously.

"What are you signing up for?" asked a feminine voice flatly. Kurt looked to his right to see a short, stick-thin girl chewing gum loudly. It was Chelsea, a girl Kurt had gone to middle school with.

"Oh, hey! I might do Glee. Or cooking."

"Crap, I wanted to be in cooking," she muttered.

"A-are you saying that because I'm in it..." Kurt began, his brows furrowed in confusion. Before Kurt had left for Billy Elliot, he and Chelsea had been friends. At least, what sixth graders considered to be friends. Kurt had sat with Chelsea and a group of other people from his English class during lunch almost every day that year. They had all bonded over how crazy their teacher was. They were the kind of people who never really seemed to care, and this was the group of people Kurt felt the most safe with. They didn't ask questions about others, and paid no attention to what you did. Kurt's lunch table had whiled away their sixth grade year mimicking their English teacher's unusually high voice and discussing plot developments on Disney channel show. Well, Kurt had curled his head down over his notebook so he could sketch outfits in peace, pretending to be interested if someone ever tried to include him in the conversation. It worked out well for Kurt in a time where just about everything else in his life was full of uncertainty.

So this comment from Chelsea was all the more perplexing to Kurt, and he waited for her to explain. She stood there popping her gum unpleasantly as Kurt frowned at her, until she finally spoke.

"Look Hummel, we all know you think you're way more important than everyone else since you went on that queer little tour." Kurt's chest tightened at the word 'queer'. Did she know? Chelsea seemed to take no notice of Kurt's panic, and continued.

"But the truth is, _you're not. You are not important to anyone. _I don't want to be around people like you, and I'm pretty sure no one else does either. So kindly tell me what club you're going to ruin, so I can steer clear of it." She finished her rant and went back to looking like she didn't care. Kurt stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment, until the weight of her statement hit him. As emotions raged inside of him and he held back tears, he whispered,

"None. I-I'm not joining anything." and disappeared from Chelsea's sight.

He barely made it into a bathroom stall before the tears flooded his eyes and slid down his cheeks. He cursed himself for it, knowing that it would dry out and irritate his sensitive skin. He sobbed for half an hour, not caring if someone came in and heard him. Apparently, he was already doomed to have no friends, so it didn't care if people thought he was weak.

Finally, he seemed to be out of tears, and he sat there as he formulated a plan for getting through this. He would fly completely under the radar. He would take the hardest classes he could and learn as much as could fit in his brain. That way, he could get out of this town and to a wonderful college as soon as possible. But other than that, he would have to be completely ordinary. No more crazy outfits, no clubs, nothing that would get him noticed. He needed to stay safe as he waited for high school to be over.

* * *

**A/N: So I'm pretty sure that by this time no one remembered this was on their alerts... not updating for three months can do that. Now I could sit here and give you a bunch of phony excuses, but the truth is, I have one reason: I got a Tumblr. Anyone on there will understand. **

**If you want to find me on Tumblr, I'm klaineequlalsmylife. (some cakesniffer stole my name) and I'll try to do better with updating, but now that I've started high school with my crazy classes and play rehearsals, I can't promise anything. This story is shaping up to be a lot more angsty than I originally planned, but I think that's a good thing. Oh, and I'd like to thank Azrael- The Dark Archangel and Ravenscar275x for subscribing to this within the past few days, because that actually really motivated me to finish this chapter. Well, I'd absolutely LOVE some reviews! Bye for now, hopefully I'll see you soon!**

**TUMBLR: klaineequalsmylife- Come say hi, I'll be posting some story-related things and hosting a giveaway soon!  
**

**FANFICTION BANK TUMBLR: klaineficneeds- a new blog, I'm an admin along with gleekaramous, blaineboughtcheesecake, and klainebowsandquirrelmort. This is basically a page where you can browse Klaine fics by genre. We'd love to hear from you!  
**


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